By Alejandro Antonio Chafuen
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com.
“If it matters, measure it” is the motto of the Fraser Institute,
the leading Canadian think tank, where I have been a trustee since
1991. More than a motto, the focus on measurement permeates and guides
all the work of the institute. As few things matter more than freedom, it is only fitting that Fraser has embarked in its most ambitious methodological effort: measuring human freedom.
Fraser was a pioneer in the elaboration
of economic freedom indices. Its first index was produced in 1996. A
newly released book, produced in collaboration with the Liberales
Institut of Germany, is cautiously titled: “Towards a Worldwide Index of Human Freedom.” All the chapters in this book (almost 300 pages) deserve careful study by those interested in human liberty.
